Valour Road
by
Rona Manalang
Senior 1
Corporal Leonard Clarke
Corporal Leonard Clarke was
born in 1892 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He died on October 19,
1916, killed in action in Etretat, France.
Clarke was twenty-four years old when he served in World War One.
He was enlisted in 1914 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Leo was awarded the Victoria Cross for his valour at Pozieres
Ridge on September 16, 1916. He received the award by his valour
for emptying his revolver into his enemy(s) on September 9, 1916.
Leonard Clarke picked up two enemy rifles and fired those too.
One officer attacked Leo and wounded him in the leg. Clarke shot
him dead.
Corporal Leonard Clarke was awarded the Victoria Cross on October
26, 1916. Leonard was ranked A/Cpl.
Additional information: he was the son of Henry Trevelyan Clarke
and Rossetta Caroline Nona Clarke and lived on 785 Pine Street,
which is now named Valour Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Also,
Corporal Leonard Clarke was buried in the Etretat Churchyard.
Sergeant Major Frederick William Hall
Sergeant Major Frederick
William Hall was born in 1885 in Belfast, Ireland. He died in
1914 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, killed in action during the
war by a wounded head.
Hall was thirty years old when he served in World War One. He was
enlisted in 1914, Winnipeg, Canada.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his action at Ypres on
April 24, 1915. Hall received the award by his valour for saving
a wounded man fifteen yards away from the trench. His first
attempt failed. On his second attempt, he lifted up the wounded
man and brought him in when he fell mortally wounded in the head.
Sergeant Major Frederick William Hall was awarded the Victoria
Cross on May 22, 1915. He was ranked as Sergeant Major.
Additional information: he was the son of Mary Hall, of 43 Union
Road, Leystone, London, and the late Bmdr. F. Hall. Also,
Sergeant Major Frederick William Hall was buried at Ypres (Menin
Gate) Memorial.
Lieutenant Robert Shankland
Lieutenant Robert Shankland
was born on October 10, 1887 in Ayr, Scotland. He died on January
20, 1968 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Shankland was thirty years old when he served in World War One.
Also, he served in World War Two, retiring with the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Belvue Spu,
Passchendaele on October 26, 1916. Shankland received the award
by his valour for dispersing a counter-attack. He personally
communicated to headquarters and gave an accurate and valuable
report as to the position on the Brigade frontage. Then, he
rejoined his command on until relieved. His courage and splendid
example inspired all ranks.
Valour Road
Valour Road is one of the
very important historical streets in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
At first, the street's name was Pine Street.
Pine Street was changed to Valour Road because of the three
recipients, that lived on Pine Street, who received the Victoria
Cross for their valour in World War I. The three recipients were
Corporal Leonard Clarke, Sergeant Major Frederick Hall, and
Lieutenant Robert Shankland. There is a street lamp at the corner
of Portage Avenue and Valour Road that commemorates the three
recipients. Mounted on the lamp is a bronze plaque that tells the
story of the men and the re-naming of Pine Street to Valour Road.
The Medal
In general, the medal is a cross and suspender. First cast in gunmetal and then chased and finished by hand; from 1914 to 1950 a die-cast suspender was used. The metal was taken from the guns that were captured from the Russians in the Crimean War. The components of the decoration was treated chemically to obtain a uniform dark brown finish which is darker on some issues than on others. The cross is 1.375 inches wide. Together with the suspender bar and link weighs about 0.87 ounces. Although chasing and finishing may cause slight variation in these figures. The design of the cross was attributed to H. H. Armstead. Then the design was approved by the Queen.
The Ribbon on the medal is crimson and is 1.5 inches wide. Originally, the ribbon was dark blue for the Royal Navy and crimson for the Army. Shortly before the Royal Air Force was formed, on April 1, 1918, the King approved recommendation that what had been the Army ribbon, should be adopted by all recipients. When the ribbon was worn alone, a miniature of the cross is pinned on it, a bar being indicated by a second miniature worn beside the first.
The suspension is by a straight bar, slotted for the ribbon, with a v-lug below, made in one piece. The front of the bar is ornamented with laurels, die-cast bars having leaves set more closely together, and the reverse side is engraved with details about the recipient. The cross and suspender bar are joined by a small link which passes through the lugs of both components. On the earlier issues, the link is completely circular and the inside bottom of the v-lug is slightly recessed to accommodate it. Later the link was made into an oval and the lug was not recessed.
On the obverse side, in reality, the Cross is not a Maltese Cross as it is described in the Royal Warrant, but is closer to a cross pattè. On the reverse side, it has the date(s) of the act(s) of gallantry engraved in the center circle.
The bars are based on a suspender bar, but without a v-lug, ribbon, and a frame above.
The engagement on the reverse sides are in capital letters, the style of the engagement varies although, generally speaking, the use of serifs seem to have been discontinued during the South American War (Boer). However, King Edward VII approved the posthumous issues, some comparatively modern Crosses exist that awarded for services performed many years before. Sometimes the inscription of the same color as the decoration as itself. Details on the suspender bar include their rank, name, and regiment, or other description of the recipient. Abbreviations could be used, according to the length of the inscription.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest decoration that can be awarded to the British, and Commonwealth forces. This award was instituted by the Royal Warrants in 1856, made a retrospective to Autumn of 1854, and covered a period time of the Crimean War. The Victoria Cross was bestowed 1354 times since 1854. It was bestowed for the action "in presence of the enemy".
Although, in 1858 to 1881, an amendment allowed for awards "under circumstances of extreme danger". Six awards were made under these conditions. The first presentation made in Hyde Park on June 26, 1857 where Queen Victoria decorated sixty-two officers and men for their actions during Crimean War. Each Victoria Cross made by the same London jewelers, Messrs Hancocks (now of Burlington Gardens, London) made the decoration bronze from the Chinese cannons captures from the Russians at the siege of Sebastopol. The Victoria Cross to Gorce fluorescoped by the Tower of London, found to be fairly common bronze which was changed for some crosses in World War One.
The new requirement to receive the award is that there must be at least three witnesses, which must sworn in written statements to exact circumstances of action involved. Not until 1920, an official amendment was made allowing the Victoria Cross to be awarded posthumously. Until 1977, only the British decoration could be awarded posthumously. Not just the British award, but also a Commonwealth one; was extended to members of the Colonial Forces in New Zealand and other parts of the Empire, 186 to officers and men of the Indian Army in 1911. There was no barrier of colors, creed, sex, or rank. An estimated chance of surviving a Victoria Cross act is 1 in 10. The largest number of Victoria Crosses won in a single day is twenty-four, at second relief of Lucknow on November 16, 1857 during the Indian Muteny. Fourteen men not born a British or a Commonwealth citizen have received the Victoria Cross; five Americans, one Belgian, three Danes, two Germans, one Swede, a Swiss, and a Ukrainian. "Gazetted" applies to publishing of individuals award in London Gazette. Originally the ribbon was red for the Army and blue for the Royal Navy but when the Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 changed to red for all services. The Victoria Cross can be bestowed by ballots and also can still be awarded only by the Royal Assent and presented by the Monarch.
For additional information
on Valour Road, refer to the special Valour Road web page that is
on the Sargent Park School website:
http://www.wsd1.org/sargentpark